After more than 18 months of construction and fit-out work, the long-awaited $24 million expansion of the emergency department at Canberra Hospital opened on Thursday.
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The expanded department now has an extra 1000 square metres of "refurbished" space, housing 21 treatment areas, up from 54 to 75, as well as a dedicated parents room, triage assessment bay and clinical forensic medical service.
ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris said the expansion had increased the capacity of the busy department by a third, including dedicated paediatric treatment areas, three new ambulance bays and a "sub-acute area" called "fast-track" for treating those with less-serious injuries.
"In addition, there is a new Mental Health Short Stay Unit, which has improved how we care for people who present to emergency with mental illnesses since it opened at the beginning of this year," she said.
"The completion of this expansion will significantly improve outcomes for patients, particularly families with young children."
Ms Fitzharris said the project had "not been without its challenges", given the works were undertaken while the existing ED continued to operate, and she wanted to thank all patients, their families and staff for their "patience and understanding" while the job was completed.
